So much for the weather being better than yesterday. In between showers and gusty gale force winds, I managed to continue repotting my capsicum and chilli seedlings for a couple of hours. I also took some pumpkin seedlings off the heat pad, potted them up and placed them in the greenhouse. I was extremely pleased with the germination rate of “Hybrid Grey Crown” from Yates Seeds. All four seeds I sowed germinated, despite the packet expiring in August 2017. According to my gardening diary, they were sowed on 19th September so they grew very rapidly. I also had a similarly successful germination rate with “Queensland Blue” from Yates seeds, which had the same expiry date. These plants are at a more advanced stage of growth and are doing well in the greenhouse. Don’t forget that it’s possible to sow pumpkin seeds direct when the weather is warmer. This reduces the risk of transplant shock. It also saves a lot of time potting and planting seedlings, not to mention money on potting mix and the use of plastic pots in the garden! I personally prefer to raise seedlings and transplant them later as I’m always changing my mind about the layout of the garden. A good idea is to sow pumpkins in peat pots or toilet rolls which are biodegradable and don’t disturb the roots of the plant.
I can’t believe how quickly my plants are growing in the greenhouse and how full it’s getting in there. A few days ago, I repotted some capsicums into larger pots and then started regretting it, thinking the new pots were too big. But when I looked at them in the greenhouse today, I could swear they have grown even more. This morning, I went to Bunnings to purchase more thin stakes for my tomato plants. I have been tying them with string as they grow. Some of my biggest ones might have to go into even larger pots. I simply can’t keep up with my plants! Thankfully, some new wwoofers will be arriving next Tuesday to stay for two weeks, so I’m really looking forward to having some much needed assistance around the garden. Our microgreens “Mizuna” from Yates Seeds which I sowed on the 4th of September have matured and are ready to be harvested (see picture). We had some the other day in a potato salad with lots of fresh herbs from the garden and it was delicious! That same day, I sowed some fenugreek seeds which are also coming along nicely but are not quite ready yet. This is good, as it’s difficult to get through everything when it matures at once! Although there may of course be different and perfectly good ways of sowing microgreens, I highly recommend using a foil roasting tray as I have done. It works every time and is not made of plastic! Just remember to make some holes in the bottom for drainage. I love growing microgreens every spring as they mature really quickly and are so easy to grow. They are perfect for new gardeners and kids (not that children aren’t capable of growing difficult things, there are some incredibly talented young gardeners out there who outsmart us adults!). Before I finished for the day, I had a quick walk around the garden. I love to take some time out to see how far I’ve come, not just this season but also over the years. In particular, I’m pleased with how healthy my two tamarillo plants look. I sowed them from seed last spring. You may recall me mentioning in a previous post that I used a liquid frost cloth spray to protect them from frost during winter. I’m so happy that it was effective. Not only are the plants alive, but they grew so much over the cooler months! Since the beginning of September, I have been feeding them every week with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food. I highly recommend this product, which I have also been using on our lemon tree, feijoas and flying dragon citrus. All of these trees look extremely healthy. How did everyone else get on today? Hope the weather didn’t stop you from accomplishing what you wanted.
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